The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1887-08-05

him they did not succeed really in killing
him You may assault good man. but you
cannot kill him. On the day Of his death,
stephen spoke before few people in the San
hedrim: this Sabbath morning he addresses
all Christendom. Paul the Apostle stood
on Mars Hill addressing handful Of
philosophers who knew not 50 much about
science as a modern school girl To-day he
talks to all the millions Of Christendom
about the wonders OF justification and the
glories OF resurrection. John Wesley was
howled down by the mob to whom he preached
and they threw bricks at him, and they de
nounced him. and they jostled him and they
srat upon him, and vet to-day, in all lands, ne
is admitted to be the great father OF Method,
ism Booths bullet vacated the PRESIDENTIAL
chair: but from that spot of coagnlated blood
on the floor in the iox of Fords Theatre
there sprang up the new life of a nation
Stephen stoned; but Stephen alive
lass on now, and see Stephen in his dying
PRAYER. His first thought was not how the
stones hurt his head, TOR what would become
OF his body. His first thought was about MS
spirit Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" Inc
murderer standing on the trap-door, the black
cap being drawn over his head before the ex-
ecltion, may griInace nbou. the future; put
YOU and have no shame in confessing some
anxiety about where weare going TO come OUT
You are not all body, There IS within you soul;
/ see it CLEAN from your eyes to-day, an
see il irradiating your countenance- some
times | am abashed before an audience,
not because come under your physical eye
sight, but because | realize the truth that
stand before 50 many immortal spirits The
probability IS that your body will at last ind
a scpulture in some of the cemeteries that
surround this city. There is no doubt but
that your ohsequics will BE- decent and re-
epectfnl, and you will be able TO pillow your
head under the maple, or the Norway spruce,
or the cypress or the blossoming fir; but this
spirit about which Stephen prayed, what di-
rectiOn will that take. What guide will es-
cort III What gate will open TO receive
IL, What cloud will be cleft for its pathway
After il has got beyond the light Of our sun,
viii there be torches lighted for the rest OF
Of the wayl VIII the soul have to travel
through long deserts before it reaches the
good lanii If we should lose our pathway,
Will there be a castle at whose gate we may
ask the way to the city, o, this mysterious
spirit within usi II has two wings, but it is
in a cage now 1t is locked fast to keep
il; but let the door Of this cage open the least,
and that soul is of. Eagles wing could not
catch IL When the soul leaves the body it
takes fifty worlds at bound. And have
no anxiety about it. Have you no anxiety
about il. l do not care what you do with my
body when my soul is gone, or whether yon
believe IN cremation or Inflammation. l
shall sleep just as well in wrapping
Of sackcloth as in satin lined
with eagles down. But my soul-before l
leave this house this morning will find out
where it is going 10 land. Thank God for the
intimati0n Of my text, that wnen We die
Jesus takes US That answers all questions
for me What though there were massive
bars between here and the city Of light, Jesus
could remove them. What though there were
great Saharas of darkness, Jesus could
Hume them. What though l get weary
on the way, Christ could lift me on His
omnip0tent shoulder. What though there
were chasns 10 cross. His hand could
transport me Then let Stephens PRAYER be
my dying litany: Lord Jesus, receive my
spirit 1t may be in that hour we shall be
too feeble TO say a long prayer. II may be in
that hour we will not be able to say the
" Lords Prayer for il has seven petitions.
Perhaps we may be too feeble even 10 say the
infant prayer our mothers taught us, which
John Quincy Adams, seventy years Of age,
said every night when he put his head upon
his pillow;
Now lay me down to sleep,
Iprsy the Lord my soul to keep
We may be too feeble TO employ either Of
these familiar forms. but this prayer Of Ste
phen is 80 short, IS 80 concise, Is so earnest, IS
- comprehensive, we surely will be able TO
say that: Lord Jesus. receive my spirit
O. II that PRAYER IS answered, how sweet it
TO rs. Perhaps it has treated US a great deal
better than we deserved to be treated;
but II on the dying pillow there shall
break TIE light OF that better world, we shall
have no more regret about leaving small,
dark. damp hOus- for one large, beautiful,
and capacious. That dying minister in Phil
adelphla. some years ago, beautifully depicted
it whel, in tho last moment, be threw up his
hands and cried out; Il move into the lightia
Pass on now and | VIII show one more
picture and that is Stephen asleep With
Tathos and simplicity peculiar to the Script
ures the text says Of stephen: HE fell
asleepn 20, YOU say 'what place that
was to sieepi A hard rock under him, stones
falling down upon him, the blood streaming,
the mob bowling. What a place Il was to
sIesp.7 And vet my text takes that symbol
OF slunier to describe his departure, so
sweet was it. 50 contented was it, so
p aoful was it, stephen had lived
4 very laborious life. His chief work
had been 70 care for the poor. How many
loares Of bread he distributed, how many
bare feet be had sandaled, how many cots Of
sickness and distress he blessed with minis
ir.es Of kindness and love, do not know;
but from the way he lived, and the way he
preached. and the way he died, l know he
was a laborious Christian But that
The cup 10 the last fainting lip. He
has taken the last insult from his enemies.
The last stone to Whose crushing weight he is
susceptible has been hurled Stephen is deadi
The disciples come They take him up. They
wash away the blood from the wounds. They
stfaighten out the bruised limbs. They brush
hack the tangled hair from the brow, and
then they pass around to look upon the
calm cpuntenance Of him who had lived
fe- de Tor and died for the truth. Stephen
asieFTl! I have seen the sea driven with the
hurricane until the tangled foam caught in the
rigging. and wave rising above wave seemed
A. II about 20 storm the heavens, and then |
have seen the tempest drop, and the waves
crouch, and everything become smooth and
FURNISHED as though a camping place for the
gl0rles Of heaven. So / have seen a man,
s hose life has been tossed aud driven coming
down N last to an infinite calm, in which
ilefe was the hush Of heavens lullaby Stephen
ls-eep. saw such an one He fought all
3 days against poverty and against abuse.
They tTaduced his name. They ratified at the
iCor knob vi ile he was dying, with duns for
iebis be- could not pay; yet the peace of God
ir0nied over his pillow and while the world
iadesl. heaven dawned. and the deepening
ui ight Of carths night was only the opening
twilight u hoayen's morn. Not a sigh Not
/ tear. Not a struggle Hush Stephen |
lsloep.
I have not the faculty 10 tell the weather
can never tel by the setting sun whether
.here viii he a drought or not. / cannot tel !
iv the blowing OF the wind whether il will
b lair weather or foul weather on the NOR
row. But / can prophecy, and | will
nrophosy what weather ii viii be when
Tou. the Christian come 10 die You may
have il very rough now. IL may he
his week one annoyance, the next another
snnoyance Il may be this year one bereave-
lcuf. the next another bereavement. Before
his year has passed you may have to beg for
In al. or ask for a scuttie Of coal. or pair OF
hos. but spread your death couch amid the |
caves q the forest, or make it out Of the !
trav Of q pauper's hut, the wolf In the jun |
lie bowling Close BY. or memorable creditors |
erkinc the pillow from under your dying /
lead-Christ viii come in and darkness |
VII 20 out And though there may
b. no hand 10 close your eyes, 1
nd no breast On which 70 rest your dying |
ieafl, and no candle 10 lift the night, the |
,iors Of Gods hanging garden win regale /
7olr soai, and at your bedside will halt the |
hnriofs al the king No more rents TO pay; I
io more agony because -four has gone up; no /,
more struggle with the world. the flesh, and
ne devil, but peace-lOng, deep, everlasting
leaae Stephen asleepi
Asleep In Jesus, blessed sleep.
Prom which hone ever wake to weep;
A calm and undisiGrbed fepose,
IEinjured By the iast Of foes
% Asleep IN Iesns, far from thee
Thy kindred and their caves may be;
Ban there i sill blessed sleep.
From which none ever wake 10 weep"
You have seen enough for one morning. No
n..nH.